MAGA Cronies Skipping Work to Go Hang Out at Trial of Rapist and Insurrectionist
Another day, another opportunity for Trump’s MAGA Republican cronies to kiss his ring. Today, even more MAGA Congressional Republicans and other sycophants are headed to New York City to attend his criminal trial for business fraud associated with hiding sex with a porn star from voters. This time, Congressional MAGA Republicans were joined by non-elected officials like Pam Bondi, who did legal work to overturn the election, and Matthew Whitaker who raised money to help Trump’s allies wriggle out of accountability from the January 6th Select Committee. Once again, every attendee supported Trump’s attempt to overturn the 2020 Presidential election.
MAGA Republicans are using their positions as elected officials to act as an arm of the Trump campaign. Instead of working on the important priorities of the American people, like the cost of living, border security, or access to health care, they are working for Donald Trump: undermining the rule of law, casting doubts on election results, and attacking President Biden.
Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt sued to overturn the 2020 election for Donald Trump. While he was Attorney General in Missouri Schmitt joined Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s lawsuit that would have invalidated Electoral College votes from four battleground states, stating that Missouri was “in the fight” to overturn the 2020 election. Schmitt was also the vice-chair of the Republican Attorneys General Association when the group’s Rule of Law Defense Fund, sent out robocalls urging Trump supporters to show up to the National Mall on January 6, 2021, although he has denied any involvement in that expenditure. Schmitt boasted about his attempt to overturn the election in his campaign ads during his 2022 Senate campaign.
Rep. Daniel Webster (FL-11) Voted To Overturn The Election For Donald Trump. Rep. Daniel Webster voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election and signed a brief supporting Texas’s lawsuit seeking to throw out the election results in key states. Webster said he voted against certifying Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory because, “the election of 2020 became riddled with an unprecedented number of serious allegations of fraud and irregularities,” and he continued to insist that Biden’s presidency is “somewhat tainted.” Webster was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Ronny Jackson (TX-13) Was A January 6 Participant And Continues To Espouse Conspiracy Theories About The 2020 Election. Rep. Ronny Jackson is one of Donald Trump’s most vocal supporters in the House. Jackson tweeted in November 2020 that he would have Trump’s “BACK against anyone who tries to steal this election.” Jackson voted against certification of the Electoral College, which he described as being part of a three-step scheme to “throw out the fraudulent vote” and “take our country BACK.” Jackson accused Democrats of “trying to silence us by dismissing what we know to be true: President Trump won a second term.” Years after the 2020 election, Jackson still regularly tweets misinformation and conspiracy theories about it to his over 320,000 followers. On January 6, Jackson attended Trump’s rally on the Ellipse and tweeted, “We’re out here FIGHTING FOR TRUMP and for our election integrity! American Patriots have your BACK Mr. President! We will FIGHT for YOU and we will fight for OUR country!” Later, during the violent attack on the Capitol, members of the Oath Keepers militia texted each other about providing “protection” for Jackson because he had “critical data to protect.” The January 6 committee sent a letter to Jackson in May 2022 asking for his cooperation in investigating the attack, but Jackson has refused, calling the investigation a “ruthless crusade” against Trump. Jackson was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Troy Nehls (TX-22) Voted To Overturn The Election. Shortly after being sworn into office himself in January 2021, Rep. Troy Nehls voted against certification of the Electoral College. Nehls also joined a letter to Nancy Pelosi with 25 other Republican members-elect demanding an investigation “of the irregularities in November’s election.” The evening before the violent attack on the Capitol on January 6, Nehls tweeted to his supporters that he was going to “fight for President Trump” the next day. Nehls was one of the members of Congress who defended the House floor on January 6 in a tense standoff, but he has attacked Democrats for “suffering from PTSD” and derided the committee investigating the attack and was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Dale Strong (AL-05) Is A Conspiracy Theorist Who Calls January 6 A “Peaceful Assembly.” Rep. Dale Strong is a self-described “Trump conservative” who has said, “I can’t believe that Joe Biden got 80 million votes. I’m not sure exactly how that happened, but it’s concerning.” Strong co-sponsored a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof” and he has aggressively insisted that January 6 was a “peaceful assembly.”
Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (FL-27) Spread Election Misinformation On Spanish Language Radio After The January 6 Attack. Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar was recovering from Covid-19 on January 6, 2021 and did not vote on certification of the Electoral College. Days after the January 6 attack on the Capitol, Salazar appeared on Miami’s Radio Mambi and amplified a false claim about the integrity of the vote in Pennsylvania. “How is it possible that in Pennsylvania there are 200,000 more votes on Election Day than there were [voters] in the electoral rolls? That’s not possible,” Salazar said.
Previous Attendees:
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson Was A Key Figure In Attempting To Overturn The Election. In December 2020, South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson joined an unprecedented effort by 16 other attorneys general to try to help Texas in a bid to overturn the results of the election. Wilson then traveled to Washington for a meeting with Donald Trump to discuss the legal effort to nullify the election results. Wilson faced broad condemnation for his actions, including an editorial in the Charleston Post and Courier accusing him of “undermining the foundations of our republic,” and a disciplinary complaint with the South Carolina bar. Donald Trump endorsed Wilson for reelection in 2022 citing Wilson’s efforts to “safeguard your elections.”
Rep. Eric Burlison (MO-07) Is An Election Denier Who Downplayed The Violence on January 6. While he was a State Senator Eric Burlison shared #StopTheSteal misinformation while votes were still being counted in November 2020. Burlison is a longtime “election integrity” advocate and ran for Congress in 2022 on an “America First” campaign that boasted, “As President Trump fought election integrity at the national level, I battled it at the state level by spearheading legislation to clean up rampant initiative petitions and referendums.” Burlison was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.” Burlison claimed none of the rioters on January 6 were armed and, “We would call what happened on that day, a Wednesday in the Missouri Capitol.”
Rep. Andrew Clyde (GA-09) Worked To Overturn The 2020 Election, Compared January 6 To “A Normal Tourist Visit” To the Capitol. Rep. Andrew Clyde easily won renomination in the 9th District with Trump’s endorsement. Clyde voted to overturn the 2020 election and compared January 6 rioters to a “normal tourist visit” to the Capitol. Clyde was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Mary Miller (IL-15) Is A White Nationalist Who Voted to Overturn the 2020 Election for Donald Trump. Mary Miller was one of only two Illinois members of the House to vote against certifying the 2020 election. Miller attended “Stop the Steal” events with Mike Lindell and other fringe conspiracy theorists and claims that it was “impossible for [Trump] to lose, unless FIXED!” At a Moms for America rally at the Capitol to “Save the Republic” on January 5 2021, Miller approvingly quoted Hitler saying he was “right” that, “Whoever has the youth has the future.” At a rally with Trump and other Republican candidates in Illinois, Miller thanked Trump for appointing the justices who overturned Roe v. Wade in “a historic victory for white life.” With Trump’s backing Miller ousted Republican Rep. Rodney Davis in a 2022 primary in a newly redrawn district. Miller relentlessly attacked Davis for stabbing “President Trump in the back by voting for the sham January 6th Commission” and in 2024 she was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Keith Self (TX-03) Wanted A Seat In Congress To Investigate The 2020 Election. In his first campaign for Congress in 2022, Rep. Keith Self’s campaign focused on “election integrity” and in an interview, he said he hoped to serve on the House Administration Committee because it is responsible for overseeing elections. “That’s where election integrity resides,” he said. Self also said that he wanted to investigate the members of the January 6 committee and that the committee’s work had “weaponized the FBI against law abiding citizens.” Self was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Andy Biggs (AZ-05) Plotted January 6, Voted To Overturn The Election And Defied A Subpoena From The January 6 Committee. Rep. Andy Biggs was a ringleader in the plot to overturn the election far beyond his vote not to certify electors on January 6. On November 6, 2020, before the election was even called for Joe Biden, Biggs texted White House Chief of Staff, Mark Meadows, to suggest that state legislatures should appoint separate slates of Trump electors, “in the various states where there’s been shenanigans” At the same time, Biggs mounted a pressure campaign on Arizona House Speaker Rusty Bowers to change or challenge the state’s election results after they were certified. Biggs was also part of a December White House meeting that discussed plans to have Mike Pence reject Electoral College votes of some states when Congress met on January 6 to certify the election and “Stop the Steal” organizer Ali Alexander has repeatedly credited Biggs with being one of “the four guys who came up with a January 6 event.” During a January 6 committee hearing, former Meadows aide Cassidy Huthcison identified Biggs as one of a number of lawmakers who sought a pardon from Trump before he left office, a charge Biggs has denied. Biggs was subpoenaed by the January 6 committee to testify on his involvement in planning the events of that day, but refused to comply with a committee that he has repeatedly called “illegitimate” and accused of being engaged in a “witch hunt.” Biggs was referred to the House Ethics Committee for his refusal to comply with a lawful subpoena. Biggs continues to push lies about the outcome, sending a letter to House leadership demanding an investigation of “potential illegal activities” revealed in the thoroughly debunked 2000 Mules documentary. The Arizona Supreme Court rejected an effort to disqualify Biggs from the ballot for being an “insurrectionist.” Biggs was initially elected to Congress in 2016 after winning an acrimonious primary by nine votes.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (CO-03) Is A January 6 Conspirator Boebert is one of the most extreme members of the House and she was an active participant in Trump’s conspiracy to overturn the election in 2020. Boebert was reportedly intimately involved in the planning for January 6 and gave a “large” tour of the tunnels under the Capitol in the days before the attack. On January 6, Boebert voted to overturn the results of the election and cryptically tweeted, “Today is 1776,” echoing a slogan used by far-right groups to reference a new revolution and violent uprising against the government. Boebert continued to push baseless claims of voter fraud and a “stolen” election in her 2022 primary campaign, which saw widespread legal crossover voting by Democrats to support her opponent. Boebert was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Michael Cloud (TX-27) Voted To Overturn The Election. Rep. Michael Cloud voted against certification of the Electoral College and joined an amicus brief seeking to throw out the votes in four key states won by Joe Biden. A member of the Freedom Caucus, Cloud joined in that group’s efforts to bully the Department of Justice into conducting investigations of the election, Cloud was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Eli Crane (AZ-02) Supports “Decertification” Of The 2020 Election. Former Navy SEAL Eli Crane ran for his first election in 2022 with “election integrity as my number one issue.” Crane has repeatedly called for the “decertification” of the 2020 election and was endorsed by some of the most extreme conspiracy theorists in Arizona, including Mark Finchem, Wendy Rogers, and True the Vote’s 2000 Mules star Gregg Phillips. Crane was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (FL-01) Voted To Overturn The Election. Rep. Matt Gaetz voted to overturn the results of the 2020 election and signed a brief supporting Texas’s lawsuit seeking to throw out the election results in key states. The scandal-plagued Gaetz is one of Donald Trump’s biggest defenders, embracing every conspiracy theory about the 2020 election. On November 30, 2020, Gaetz went on Fox News and claimed, “There are circumstances where in the middle of the night, tens of thousands of ballots were appearing in states like Michigan where Biden was getting a higher percentage of the vote than Bashar al-Assad and Kim Jong-il in their elections… there was obvious funny business going on.” In December, he told a Turning Point USA rally, he was “joining the fighters” and would object to certification of the Electoral College. On January 6 immediately after the attack on the Capitol, Gaetz went to the House floor and claimed that the people who breached the Capitol were actually “members of the violent terrorist group Antifa.” He was also one of only 12 Republicans to vote against honoring the law enforcement officers who protected the Capitol on January 6. According to testimony to the January 6 committee, Gaetz was one of the members of Congress who sought a pardon from Trump for his role in attempting to overturn the election. Gaetz is under ongoing investigation by the House Ethics Committee over allegations of sexual misconduct with a minor and drug abuse.
Rep. Bob Good (VA-05) Is A Conspiracy Theorist Who Voted To Overturn The Election. Shortly after being sworn into office himself, Rep. Bob Good voted to overturn the election for Donald Trump. Good is an extreme conspiracy theorist who called the Covid-19 pandemic “phony” and tweeted that, “It simply isn’t believable that Joe Biden so significantly outperformed Barack Obama to ‘receive’ a record number of votes.” Good’s district director was identified in the crowd of rioters outside the Capitol on January 6 and he was one of only 21 Republicans to vote against awarding medals to the police officers who defended the Capitol that day
Rep. Diana Harshbarger (TN-01) Voted To Overturn The Election. Shortly after being sworn into office herself, Rep. Diana Harshbarger voted against certification of the Electoral College. Harshbarger also joined a letter to Nancy Pelosi with 25 other Republican members-elect demanding and investigation “of the irregularities in November’s election.” Harshbarger adamantly opposed impeachment for Donald Trump after January 6, saying, “I still support him. Everyone has their own rhetoric in how they get things accomplished. Harshbarger was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13) Called For “Decertifying” The 2020 Election In Arizona, Asked For “Leniency” In Sentencing For An Oathkeeper Convicted Of Participating In January 6. Anna Paulina Luna has claimed that the 2020 election was “compromised” because a glitch from Dominion Voting Systems’ machines flipped votes to Biden. Luna has also called for the “decertification” of Arizona election results based on the sham Maricopa County election audit. Luna recently introduced a resolution to award Donald Trump the Congressional Gold Medal for his “fearless leadership” and has also written a letter asking a judge to take “leniency” when considering the sentence of Jeremy Michael Brown, a Tampa Bay man who attacked the Capitol on January 6 with the extremist Oath Keepers group.
Rep. Ralph Norman (SC-05) Voted To Overturn The Election, Called On Donald Trump To Declare “Marshall Law” In The Days Before The Inauguration Of Joe Biden. Rep. Ralph Norman voted against certification of the Electoral College and joined the Texas amicus brief seeking to throw out the votes in four key states won by Joe Biden. Text messages former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows turned over to the January 6 committee revealed that Norman called for former Donald Trump to invoke martial law in the days leading up to the inauguration of Joe Biden. In 2024, Norman said that his only regret was misspelling “martial law” and he was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Andy Ogles (TN-05) Spoke At A Nashville“Stop The Steal” Rally. Ogles spoke at a January 6 “Stop the Steal” rally in Nashville where he referred to Democrats as “the hordes of hell [who] are here to wage war upon us.” Ogles supports election audits, requiring paper ballots, and investigating the Census Bureau for “clearly favoring blue states over red states.” Ogles has called for defunding “woke” prosecutors who have charged Donald Trump with crimes, along with calls to defund the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Ogles was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”
Rep. Michael Waltz (FL-06) Supported Efforts To Overturn The Election. Rep. Michael Waltz signed a brief supporting Texas Attorney Gen. Ken Paxton’s lawsuit in 2020 challenging the electoral results in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and and Wisconsin, calling the suit “very legitimate, very thorough.” Waltz claimed the lawsuit was not a means to overturn the election, but rather a way of “restoring confidence in our elections process by working through our judiciary.” Waltz initially planned to vote against certification of Joe Biden’s Electoral College, but reversed course after the violence of January 6 and voted for certification without objection. Waltz was one of 65 Republican members of Congress to endorse a non-binding resolution in February 2024 proclaiming that “former President Donald J. Trump did not engage in insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or give aid or comfort to the enemies thereof.”